Safety alert! This text incorporates spoilers for season 3, episode 9 of “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds.”
“Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” followers actually love Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), the feisty and considerably free-spirited Enterprise pilot on “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds.” There’s one thing about Navia’s efficiency that is deeply grounded, and together with the character writing, Ortegas is extremely relatable and works as an ideal viewers stand-in when issues get actually wacky as a result of her reactions really feel genuine. Regardless of being surrounded by legacy characters like Spock (Ethan Peck), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), and extra, she has managed to carve out a spot for herself as one of many all-time nice “Star Trek” characters. Within the present’s third season, she has had an unimaginable arc that is seen her undergo critical trauma being captured by the Gorn and barely escaping whereas critically wounded, resulting in some barely erratic habits and much more fiery depth than common.
She’s needed to overcome her fears and face her trauma head-on, utilizing her confidence in herself as a pilot to get via the hardest moments, and it looks as if that is all been constructing towards episode 9, “Terrarium.” After taking up a difficult solo mission to get knowledge from within an area storm, she finally ends up sucked right into a wormhole and stranded on a abandoned, alien planet. Simply when issues seem to be they could not worsen, she discovers that there is a Gorn pilot stranded there too, and Ortegas has to befriend her best enemy. It is a considerably frequent science fiction trope, utilized in movies like “Enemy Mine” and even within the “Star Trek: The Subsequent Era” episode “The Enemy,” however Ortegas’ earnestness makes “Terrarium” hit particularly laborious.
Ortegas brings actual humanity to Unusual New Worlds
Everybody in Starfleet is basically nice at their jobs, however in addition they sometimes really feel somewhat too good in some “Star Trek” exhibits. Their “flaws” are deeply particular and sometimes not that difficult, so characters like Spock and Captain Pike (Anson Mount) can typically really feel extra like idealized characters than actual individuals. Ortegas, in the meantime, is usually a little cocky and her trauma from each the current Gorn escape and her years as a soldier have made her a bit snappish, to the purpose the place Lieutenant Commander Una (Rebecca Romijn) even thought-about sidelining her from missions for a bit. She’s obtained an ideal sarcastic humorousness and all the time seems like she’s rising and altering, and it is an actual deal with to discover that human aspect of “Unusual New Worlds” via her experiences.
In “Terrarium,” Ortegas realizes that the Gorn pilot she’s stranded with is not going to harm her, and the 2 develop a deep bond out of their shared scenario. She even learns to play a Gorn cube recreation, displaying that these really terrifying alien creatures are able to greater than we anticipate. If one of many different characters have been in her place the episode may not work, however as a result of Ortegas is so real and has gone via a lot progress, it seems like a pure a part of her character evolution. Not solely that, however as a result of she’s not one of many legacy characters, when she’s in jeopardy it feels somewhat extra critical, as a result of there isn’t any assure that she’ll survive, in contrast to her compatriots that go on to be characters on “Star Trek: The Unique Sequence.” All of this stuff collectively assist make “Terrarium” an exceptional episode of tv, telling a narrative that is pure “Star Trek.”
Episodes like Terrarium give characters an opportunity to shine
The characters are an enormous a part of what makes “Star Trek” nice, and actual character growth has been an important a part of the franchise going all the way in which again to William Shatner’s James T. Kirk, so watching Ortegas get a completely deliberate arc this season has been deeply satisfying. It is a bit of a disgrace that the present would not have the respiratory room of the 26-episode seasons of its forebears, as a result of these private aspect quest episodes actually matter from a personality standpoint and prior to now have been one thing that made “Star Trek” exhibits sing. Who would not love seeing their favourite character get an opportunity to shine on their very own, or watching two very completely different characters be compelled to work collectively?
It is improbable that the crew behind “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” heard followers’ cries for extra Ortegas and delivered with not only one episode however a full season-long arc culminating in “Terrarium.” It is a testomony to the writing workers and Navia herself that Ortegas has managed to be such a standout character in a present full of huge personalities and acquainted fan favorites, and “Terrarium” is their best showcase for her but.
“Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” season 3 is streaming on Paramount+.
